I'll Hold You Forever
by Iamsiameseifyouplease
Summary: A romantic comedy - Penelope, Derek, and David spend the night babysitting the Reid children and reminisce about a pivotal evening they all shared during the couple's courtship. Also heavily featured is precocious 5 year old Eliza Reid, the couple's eldest child. JJ, Alex and Aaron will make brief appearances. Sexual innuendo.
1. Chapter 1

_**This is the result of an idea I had months ago. I just recently figured out how to make it workable. I hope you all enjoy it. I love to write and consider myself a good but not great writer. I want to become a better writer. I haven't had much inspiration in the last couple years. I have the entire story finished and ready to post. I will probably be posting one chapter per week. I didn't want to leave another story unfinished. I don't know when or if I will finish Boomerang or write my sequel to Decompartmentalizing. Thanks for reading and please review. **_

Chapter 1

May, 2023

The BAU had returned to Quantico at lunch time on an unseasonably hot Thursday early in May. They had been gone for three days working on a case in Minneapolis. The break they need to solve the case had finally come just before dawn. They were all exhausted since they had not slept at all on Wednesday night. Hotch had decided they should fly back to Virginia immediately and finish their paperwork before going home. Although he would have liked to give them all a long weekend, there were just too many files that needed reviewing. The team was on stand down for the coming weekend so he thought having them finish their paperwork on Thursday and then arrive at work mid morning on Friday for a short day would be a fair compromise.

The team was in the conference room having a late lunch when Spencer's cell phone rang. He looked at the number and smiled in recognition before he answered the call.

He barely said hello before the excited voice on the other end squealed "you're shooting blanks."

Although he was expecting this news, her use of slang surprised and momentarily confused him. "I'm shooting what?" He asked as his teammates grinned and began to laugh quietly. All were aware that their youngest the father of four was one month post op from a vasectomy.

While his beautiful wife and young family were a constant source of happiness, his teammates worried that the demands of 4 children under the age of six were a bit too much especially for his wife when the team was away. They had all been relieved when he announced he was having a minor surgical procedure which would require him to stay behind in Quantico for a couple weeks while he fully recuperated. Everyone had immediately guessed what this minor procedure was. Derek had teased him mercilessly that he hoped they didn't take "too much" when they did his "snip, snip". But he had also been the first one to volunteer to watch the kids during the procedure. Aunt Penelope had come to help him and ended up spending the night at the Reids' house as she often did when she babysat.

"Blanks, honey, you're shooting blanks. The doctor just called and your sperm count is zero so we can throw away all our other birth control. This weekend is going to be so fabulous." She gushed as he turned crimson.

"Um the girls can't hear you can they?" He squeaked.

"No of course not. They're all napping. Well I think Eliza may be reading books but she's in her room. I told her if she wanted to read while the babies were sleeping that would be fine that I could manage without her help for a little bit. You know I'm careful what I say when the girls are around especially Eliza, she is such a little adult."

"Yes she is." Spencer agreed his pride in their firstborn evident on his face and in his voice. "Thanks for letting me know. I probably won't be home early. We're just finishing lunch and I need to finish my report." The couple then said good-bye to each other and hung up the phone. Spencer then realized as he fully anticipated that six sets of eyes were staring at him."

Hotch gave him an uncharacteristic smirk and said "I take it your little procedure was a success"

"Yea"

"Well good cause I never want to do that again." Derek teased as he patted Spencer on the shoulder.

"Come on man. Think how I felt."

"Yea but you got that sexy little momma at home to kiss it and make it feel so much better."

The color which had begun to leave Spencer's face returned in full force. "Yea I do. We're looking forward to our little get away this weekend. With Noah weaned and this taken care of, now we can concentrate on each other and raising our family."

"Four kids in four and a half years, I'd say you've been concentrating on each other just fine, Pretty Boy."

"So what time on Saturday would you like their fairy godmother, Grandpa Dave, and Uncle Derek to arrive at the Reid Love Shack?"


	2. Chapter 2

**Here's the second chapter. Hope you enjoy reading about this little family I've created as much as I'm enjoying writing about them. Please read and review.**

It was exactly two in the afternoon on Saturday when the front doorbell of the Reid home rang. Little five and a half year old Eliza Reid who had been sitting in the living room eagerly anticipating the arrival of her Aunt Penelope, Uncle Derek and Grandpa Dave quickly answered the door. "Hi. Where's your luggage? Did you go to the grocery store? Is that for us? Are you cooking dinner Grandpa Dave?" She asked enthusiastically her volume increasing with each question as she became more animated clapping her hands and jumping up and down.

"Eliza, calm down. You will wake the babies." Her father who had been upstairs stated in a firm but gentle manner as he reached the last few steps. "Let's take everyone in the kitchen."

"Okay. The babies should sleep til 3. Well maybe not Olivia but definitely Amelia because she's only taking one nap a day now but it's a real long nap. It's hard to tell with Noah. He takes two naps but one is usually shorter than the other. He didn't sleep very well this morning because Daddy was mowing the lawn and then we had a big breakfast well brunch actually. Amelia is sad because Mommy and Daddy are going away so Mommy made us a big brunch because that's Amelia's favorite. We went to the grocery store today too; early though, we had bagels in the car on the way home. Mommy says it's too hard with mine and Olivia's school schedules and Amelia and Noah's nap schedules…." Eliza babbled as she led the group into the Reid's spacious kitchen.

Looking at Eliza, Derek was once again struck by how much she looked like her mother with blonde hair and blue eyes although she seemed to also have her father's intellect and definitely loved to talk. Although he tried very hard not to show it, she was his favorite of the three Reid girls. He put his arm around Spencer and whispered in his ear "her momma's looks and her daddy's brains. Another 10 years and you're going to be damn glad there are guns in this house, man."

Both grinned at the little girl who continued to talk as she began to dance around the kitchen. "for her to do the grocery shopping, at least a big shop without Daddy. Plus with diapers and everything one cart really isn't big enough. I've told Mommy I could push the second cart but the nap schedule is a problem too. Anyway since Daddy came home on Thursday night we've been getting caught up. Well we didn't do too much on Thursday because Daddy was tired, but Daddy you put all the groceries away, right, and you remembered the new pantry system, right?."

"Yes and yes" Her father answered nodding his head as he tenderly placed his hand on her shoulder and ran his fingers through a small section of her hair causing her to momentarily still.

"Good so ok Grandpa Dave don't worry I'll teach you the new pantry system, too. We had a huge disaster last week. See Mommy's let Livy start helping us with baking. Mommy thinks Livy will be less finicky if she's involved in the preparation. Of course, she's only doing the easy things like chocolate chips, raisins and nuts. So anyway, Livy was on her tippy toes reaching for a bag of walnuts. They fell and nuts went everywhere. So we had to re-organize everything so Livy can reach those things."

"Eliza can't Grandpa Dave just leave the food he brought on the counter. It's all for dinner, right?" Spencer asked looking at Dave who nodded in reply.

"Daddy what if Grandpa Dave brought perishables?"

"Oh well yes those we can put in the refrigerator but I don't think we need to teach Grandpa Dave Mommy's new pantry system just for one night."

"I better go ask Mommy." Eliza stated somberly as she quickly walked back down the hallway and headed up the stairs leaving the four adults chuckling at the precocious eldest Reid child.

The grocery bags had been unpacked and the perishables put in the refrigerator by the time Eliza returned followed by her mother who was carrying a bleary eyed four year old Olivia Reid. In Olivia's arms was Theo her beloved stuffed teddy bear. Unlike her elder sister Olivia physically was a female version of her father with brown hair albeit straight and brown eyes. She was tall and almost too thin. She was also the shyest of the three Reid girls. Upon being greeted by her honorary Aunt, Uncle and Grandpa, she squeezed her bear, smiled and blushed.

Seeing the child in her mother's arms, Spencer who had just started a pot of coffee reached for the little girl. "Babe, your back. Give her to me. I'll take her and you serve the coffee."

"No Daddy. Mommy needs to give Livy her snack remember what the pediatrician said about her BMI."

"How about if Uncle Derek takes Livy? Then Daddy can serve the coffee and Mommy can get Livy her snack." Derek said as he took the child from her mother's arms. "We don't want Mommy to hurt her back."

"Actually Mommy's back has been fine recently. She hasn't had to use the heating pad since the other time she and Daddy went to the inn." Eliza reported causing both her parents to blush crimson. "Mommy did you empty the washer and dryer?"

"Yes dear." She said with a laugh as she attempted to regain her composure. "Livy, for your snack, how about a glass of milk and a piece of cake? We have hummingbird and carrot."

"Carrot, please." Livy replied.

"Very nice manners, Livy. Mommy may I have a slice of hummingbird cake. The potassium in the bananas is good for me. Auntie Penelope, Uncle Derek, Grandpa Dave would any of you like cake with your coffee?" The men both decided to have cake as did Spencer. While her parents were serving everyone, Eliza began looking at the various foods which had been put on the counter while she was upstairs then she peaked in the refrigerator and freezer. Finally she said "spaghetti Bolognese, garlic bread, salad, and cheesecake. Did mommy say that was ok because Noah might need a bath if he is too messy? Oh and Mommy did you unload the dishwasher?

"Yes Eliza I unloaded the dishwasher and Grandpa Dave called me about the menu yesterday while you were at school. I told him it was fine but reminded him Noah can be messy." Her mother replied as the sounds of a newly awake Noah Reid began to come through the baby monitor on the counter.

"I can give Noah a bath if he gets messy, Eliza."Penelope said to reassure the child.

"I'll finish with everyone's snack, Babe, if you want to go get him." Spencer offered, his wife readily agreed and quickly headed towards the stairs to fetch her youngest.

Several minutes later, as the others were finishing their snack, Noah clutching a blue blanket entered the kitchen in the arms of his mother. Like his sister Olivia, he had his father's brown hair and beautiful brown eyes. He was a confident, boisterous child like his eldest sister, Eliza. Unlike the girls, he was at the top of the charts for both weight and height. Uncle Derek was already envisioning them going to many basketball and baseball games when the boy was in high school and perhaps college. Noah began waving his arms and saying "Dada" when he saw his father clearing the dishes from the kitchen table.

Hearing the child, Spencer turned and opened his arms to the boy. Noah easily made the transfer from his mommy to his daddy. "Honey, could you give him a snack while I go back upstairs? I need to finish packing and change our sheets."

"Sure, when you've finished packing I will bring our suitcases down." Reid said as his wife once again headed upstairs.

Forty-five minutes later, the sheets on the king sized bed in the master bedroom had been changed. One garment bag and two medium sized suitcases had been put in the back of Spencer's SUV. And 2 ½ year old Amelia Reid fresh from her nap was now the one having a snack at the kitchen table. Like her siblings, Amelia was a combination of her parents in her own unique way. Like Noah, she had her father's curly brown hair. Like Eliza, she had her mother's beautiful blue eyes. Weight and height wise she was somewhere in the middle. She was not as tall and thin for her age as Olivia, but not as short as Eliza, and more delicate in appearance than Noah. Unlike Olivia she was quick to speak her mind and prone to an occasional crying jag when she didn't get her way.

"I think is about time for Mommy and me to go now." Spencer said quietly waiting for the reactions of his four children.

"Kisses" Eliza quickly shouted as she lifted her arms. Her parents both began hugging and kissing their children. Olivia and Eliza received some quiet words of encouragement from both parents and in response to those words Eliza nodded vigorously.

Amelia gave her daddy a hug and in a sad voice with her lip quivering said "I love you." Hugging her mommy good-bye proved to be just too sad for the little girl and several tears cascaded down her face.

"'Melia, oh baby it's alright. Aunt Penelope, Uncle Derek, and Grandpa Dave are all staying tonight. Grandpa Dave is going to make dinner and you can watch movies as soon as Daddy and I leave."

"Puppies?" The little girl asked as she dried her tears.

"Oh you know I love puppies." Penelope enthused as she picked up Amelia. "Derek, you grab Noah. Let's all go out to the garage and watch mommy and daddy leave and then we can start doing funny stuff."


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

By 7:30 that evening the Reid children had watched 101 Dalmations, had dinner, and were watching Bedtime with Elmo. The dishes had been washed and the kitchen had been cleaned up. With the help of the three adults all four children had eaten their fill without spilling any milk or getting anything too sticky in their hair. Penelope had decided none of the children would need a bath. As Bedtime with Elmo ended, Penelope noticed that Noah was nearly asleep on her lap and Amelia was asleep on Derek's.

"Derek, Amelia is asleep. Would carry her up to bed and I'll bring Noah."

"Grandpa, I'll stay down here and help you give Livy a snack. Uncle Derek, even if Amelia doesn't wake up, she still gets her special story time. Just pick a book from her shelf. Auntie Penelope same thing with Noah although he will probably wake up and want to be rocked and read to." Eliza instructed

Twenty minutes later, Derek and Penelope returned to the kitchen as Olivia, Eliza and Dave were finishing a small snack.

"Alright, Miss Olivia it's time for you to go to bed." Penelope said

"Mommy told you about the alarm, right?" Eliza asked

"Oh yea, Eliza you show us what to do." Penelope replied

"Uncle Derek, pick me up and Grandpa pick up Olivia, please. Let's all go to the alarm." The two men picked up the two little girls as requested and the five of them walked over to the control panel for the family's burglary alarm. Dave and Derek stood side by side with the two little girls in their arms "Ok Livy, Uncle Derek set the alarm after Mommy and Daddy left. You see the green light." Olivia nodded in understanding as Eliza pointed to the light. "That means no one is getting in the house tonight. We are safe even though Daddy isn't here. So if you need to go pee-pee in the middle of the night go to your bathroom. Auntie Penelope will be in Mommy and Daddy's bed so call her or me if you need help. Uncle Derek and Grandpa will be down here too. Remember what Daddy said if you continue to do a good job at night when he is away then he and Mommy are going to give us a really special treat in June when Daddy has stand down weekend."

Derek, Dave, and Penelope listened quietly as Eliza instructed and reassured her younger sister. Spencer had explained to them at work the previous day that Olivia's accidents at night were a problem the family was currently focusing on. He and his wife had noticed that for the last several months Olivia was always dry during the day but frequently wet the bed at night. They began tracking her accidents and realized she only had them on the nights her father was not home to help put her to bed. Her parents had finally questioned her about this. She had confessed that she was afraid that a burglary might be in the house and therefore didn't get out of bed and go to the bathroom during the night when she thought Daddy wasn't there to protect her. Spencer had nearly cried at his middle daughter's show of admiration and faith. After her confession they had explained how the burglary alarm worked to her and made checking the alarm part of her nightly routine.

"Daddy said it would be my special present to him for Daddy's Day." Olivia added in a soft voice.

"That's right. Oh that reminds me. I want to go up too. While Olivia is having special time, I want to look through my art supplies. Daddy said we should do cards in the morning for Mommy since Mother's Day is tomorrow."

The two little girls and the three adults then headed upstairs. With the help of Derek, Dave, and mostly Penelope both girls changed for bed and brushed their teeth. Derek and Dave then took Olivia to her room so she could pick out a book. Penelope briefly went with Eliza into her room to make certain she didn't need any help.

"I should be ok Auntie Penelope, most of my art supplies are in the bottom drawer of my desk. Mommy keeps some extra things up there for when we do big projects." Eliza said pointing to a plastic container which was on the top shelf of her closet.

"How about I get that down for you? You can look through it while I'm helping Uncle Derek and Grandpa with Olivia. Then one of us will put it back when we're done."

"Ok, thanks" the little girl cheerfully replied as Penelope grabbed the bin and put in on top of the child's desk.

Penelope then left Eliza's bedroom and headed down the hallway of the large 5 bedroom home to Olivia's room. As she walked down the hallway she could already hear Derek reading to the child. Although the Reids rarely left their children for the entire night, they tried to go out for the evening at least once every few weeks. Penelope always stayed with the children. Derek often joined her and occasionally Dave helped too. Therefore they were aware of the importance all the members of the family had for what they called "special time." It was something Spencer had started with Eliza when Olivia was born. It had become more and more a part of their routine as the family had grown. It combined Spencer's love for literature with his desire to make sure each of his children received one on one attention on a daily basis. Bedtime was not a rushed affair where the children were all brought today in one room and read one story. It generally started shortly after dinner and could last 2 to 3 hours depending on how many baths were required and how many stories were requested. Spencer when he was home would try to spend 20-30 minutes alone with each child in their bedroom. Many evenings when Spencer was away, each child still got special time with their mother. Other evenings they were all just too cranky, dirty, and tired. When Penelope, Derek and Dave had first heard about "special time", they all found it charming and decided to make it as much a part of their routine with the children when they babysat as possible.

Olivia waved at Penelope when she entered the room. Dave saw and quietly informed her that Olivia had picked two books she wanted to hear, so Derek was reading the first one and he was going to read the second book. Penelope quietly joined the group.

When Penelope, Derek, and Dave returned to Eliza's room 15 minutes later, she was in bed already reading a book. When she saw the adults, she closed it. "I'm done with my bin, if someone could put it back up for me please." The adults noticed a stack of drawing paper, construction paper, crayons, colored pencils, tape, 2 sticks of glue, and a pair of safety scissors on the top of Eliza's desk.

Derek put the bin back in the closet, as Penelope sat down on the bed next to Eliza. Eliza moved closer to her honorary Aunt while Dave grabbed the desk chair, moved it next to the bed and sat down on it. "Is this the story you want us to read tonight, princess?" Dave asked.

"No I was just looking at it while I was waiting for my turn." Derek had finished putting the bin in the closet and was just about to sit down on the end of the bed. Penelope handed him the book and indicated he should put it away on the bookshelf which was on the other side of Eliza's desk. "Auntie Penelope, don't forget you said you'd tell me about the Gala instead of reading me a book for my special big girl story time"

"I thought Aunt Penelope told you that story last time after I left." Uncle Derek questioned as he finally sat down on the end of Eliza's bed.

The 5 ½ year old let out a frustrated moan and in a sad voice explained "No she promised she was going to but then Mommy made us all go to bed at the same time without any special time because Daddy's wee wee hurt.

The men both winced and shifted nervously in their seats at the little girl's reference to her father's recent vasectomy while Penelope smiled and stifled a laugh. "As you know the story of the Gala really started one day at lunch about two weeks before the Gala in the conference room at Quantico…" Penelope began softly.

"Wait a second Auntie Penelope, where is Miss Kitty Cat? She wants to hear the story too." Eliza said referring to her stuffed Siamese cat with which she always slept.

"Of course, she does. Um she was your the bathroom with you while you were brushing your teeth. Maybe you left her in there." Eliza nodded. "Uncle Derek will get her." Derek smiled, shook his head and went in search of the treasured companion.

Derek returned momentarily with the stuffed cat "Here you go baby girl." He said as he once again sat down on the foot of Eliza's bed as she smiled at him and then looked at Penelope with wide eager eyes.

"Thank you, my love. So Aunt JJ, Aunt Alex and Uncle Hotch said they couldn't come because it was a stand down weekend like this weekend and they were all going away." Penelope continued.

"That part is so sad."

"It is but then imagine how happy I was when I said 'oh okay so 4 tickets for the Gala' and Daddy replied 'um actually I was hoping, I mean if it's ok I'd um like to br..bring someone'" I told him that was fine, great actually. We were all very surprised. Daddy never brought anyone."

"Those were the longest two weeks of our lives. I teased Daddy unstop and he wouldn't tell any of us anything."

"So then the night came. I had explained to everyone that instead of a cocktail reception at 6:30 before the opening night performance, the play would start at 7pm and we would have a fancier reception afterward. The general manager was retiring and this was his last opening. The new general manager was being introduced at the Gala and wanted it after the performance to not overshadow the show and retiring general manager."

"That's so nice."

"Yea we thought so too. We knew we were getting a new general manager but only a couple people knew who the person was. They said it was a big deal and all very hush hush. Uncle Derek drove me just like always and we arrived early so I could get my costume on."

"I drove separately since I assumed Daddy would be coming with his date."

"Grandpa Dave got there before Daddy. Aunt Penelope had changed and was waiting in the lobby with us."

"I didn't want to miss our Junior G making his grand entrance." Penelope explained causing the child to giggle happily.

"So then in walks Daddy, he was wearing a navy suit, a white shirt, silver tie, and dress shoes. He looked sharp."

"Most of our open nights everyone just wore their work clothes but since this was a special night we were told the new general manager had requested jackets and ties for the men and cocktail dresses for the ladies."

"I didn't think he had a navy suit. So I asked if it was new. He said "well the la..lady is wearing a navy dress and she requested so um."

"Did he get all weird and blush and everything?"

"Yes, but he also looked happy. Very, very happy. Uncle Derek teased him a little bit about dressing to match his lady. Then Uncle Derek asked where she was. Daddy explained that she had been delayed but was hoping to arrive for the Gala. Then Aunt Penelope showed us to our seats and headed backstage."

"After the play, we went into the big practice room at the theater. It was beautifully decorated. There were waiters and waitresses passing out red wine, white wine and champagne. There was a bar and a huge buffet table with all types of cold food: cheese, crackers, vegetables, dip, fruit, deviled eggs, shrimp, salmon, finger sandwiches, canapés and trays and trays of the most delicious looking desserts. Plus waiters were coming around with hot hors d'oeuvres. It was very elegant."

"Aunt Penelope, Uncle Derek and I were all getting worried though because your mommy still hadn't arrived."

"After everyone got a drink, Mr. Johnson, the retiring general manager, started to speak. He thanked everyone for coming. Then he said 'this is a very bittersweet evening for me. Miriam and I are looking forward to retirement and being closer to our grandchildren in Michigan however we will miss all of you and the playhouse terribly. I am however leaving it in excellent hands. The board of directors was absolutely elated when they received my replacement's application as was I when I learned her identity. She is a graduate of Julliard and has been a working actress in Hollywood for a decade. I am confident she will bring the playhouse much acclaimed. She asked that we not formally introduce her tonight just allow her an opportunity to say hello and frankly she needs no introduction. Ladies and gentleman, your next general manager….'"

"Mommy"

"Yes, Mommy. Everyone started clapping which was her cue at enter the room. When we saw her we all gasped. Well everyone except Daddy because he knew. Grandpa Dave and I were speechless. We knew it was Mommy because she was wearing a navy dress, a beautiful fitted navy dress that came to just above her knees, had cap sleeves and a navy lace overlay. She was also wearing beige peep-toe pumps and had.."

"Okay fashion police. Eliza, do you even know what half of that means?"

"Yep, Mommy looked really pretty." Eliza said proudly causing Derek to laugh.

"She did. I don't think I had ever seen your father look so happy and proud. He was smiling so hard, he was laughing. Of course Uncle Derek immediately started teasing Daddy.

"She walked over to the microphone and everyone slowly quieted. Then she said 'Thank you all so much for that very, very warm welcome. As Mr. Johnson said tonight is just hello. I plan to be in the office bright and early Monday morning to begin my three month transition with him. I have a lot of ideas which I look forward to discussing with all of you. I'm also looking forward to getting to meet and know you individually.' Then she stepped down from the podium. People immediately started chatting with her. Uncle Derek thought we should walk over to her. But Daddy said we shouldn't rush her. It seemed to take forever for her to reach us but was maybe 10 to 15 minutes. Mommy would talk to someone for a little bit then when that conversation ended she'd take a couple steps towards us then someone else would say something to her."

"Each time she was stopped, she would look over at your father and they would smile at each other."

"Finally she got to us. She recognized me and gave me a big hug. She had never met Aunt Penelope and Grandpa Dave, so Daddy introduced them and Mommy hugged them too." Derek paused slightly not knowing quite how to continue the story.

Sensing Derek's hesitation, Dave quickly interjected. "Daddy offered Mommy his arm" Dave gestured as he put his hand over his belt buckle bending his elbow.

"Then Mommy took his arm." Penelope showed the child what she meant by threading her hand between Dave's side and his arm and then laying her fingers just below the inside of his elbow.

"Well that's the way most people usually do it but Mommy and Daddy had this whole extra thing going on."

"Extra thing?" Eliza asked with a yawn. Derek sighed slightly in relief as he briefly made eye contact with first Dave and then Penelope.

"Yea princess after Mommy put her hand on Daddy's arm. Daddy covered her hand with his other hand and Mommy started stroking Daddy's upper arm with her other hand." Derek explained as Penelope and Dave demonstrated.

Eliza who was struggling to keep her eyes open murmured "Mommy and Daddy are so romantic."

Penelope noticed how sleepy the child was and realized the perfect way to end the story. "Mommy and Daddy love each other very much and they love you. So do we." With Derek's help, Penelope got off the bed.

Eliza rolled on her side, drew Miss Kitty Cat close to her and snuggled into her bed as Penelope rearranged the sheet and comforter. Penelope, Derek, and Dave then took turns kissing the little girl on her forehead before leaving her room for the night.


	4. Chapter 4

Penelope, Derek and Dave went downstairs and spent some time relaxing and chatting. When they got tired they went to the laundry room where they had been reminded pillows, sheets, blankets, and towels had been set out for the men. Each man took a laundry basket which contained a set of towels, a set of sheets, and a blanket. Penelope grabbed the 4 pillows 2 of which were in pillowcases which matched the sheets in the basket Derek was carrying and 2 which matched the sheets in the basket Dave was carrying. Penelope helped both men set up and make their beds. Dave would be spending the night on the queen sized sleep sofa in the family room and Derek would be spending the night on the queen sized sleep sofa in the living room. After both beds were made, Penelope headed upstairs to the master bedroom.

It was small for a master bedroom and dominated by a four poster king sized bed. The only other furniture in the actual bedroom was the couple's nightstands. There was also a romantic two sided gas fueled fireplace. On the other side of the fireplace was a loveseat. Penelope stayed overnight frequently but usually the couple had only been out for the evening and she would sleep downstairs in the family room. She wasn't comfort sleeping in the living room since it was under the master bedroom. It was no secret that despite being married for seven years the couple was still very, very much in love and very passionate about and with each other. Penelope was certainly not a prude. She was definitely happy that the man she thought of as a little brother had found happiness. She had been the first to accept Spencer's wife who she now considered a little sister. But that didn't mean Penelope wanted to know all the details. As she began getting ready for bed, she couldn't help but remember the Monday morning after the Gala nine years earlier.

_Monday morning came too soon. David, Derek and Penelope had been so surprised on Saturday night that they decided with Spencer's permission to try to surprise their teammates too. As they usually did on a Monday morning, the team started the day in the conference room. Everyone but Reid arrived early. Hotch knew JJ and Alex were both very curious about Spencer's date night and although Hotch didn't want to admit it he was curious too. He was happily surprised when he arrived at the office and did not find a case urgently waiting for them. This was a rarity after a stand down weekend. He would give them a few minutes to chat about the weekend over coffee before they began reviewing the endless pile of files. _

_Spencer finally trudged in at 8:58 looking exhausted and drank a large gulp of coffee before asking if they had a case. He didn't make any attempt to suppress his relieved sigh when Hotch told him there was nothing urgent. He looked so bad Derek didn't __even__ have the heart to tease him._

"_How was the date?" Alex asked nervously as he sat down and took a second large gulp of coffee._

"_Well if the death grip she had on my man's arm all night is any indication…"Derek teased._

"_So you think they'll be another date?" JJ asked warily._

"_A better question would be who should I get to cater their wedding rehearsal dinner?" Dave offered._

_JJ, Alex, and Hotch all looked surprised and very intrigued. "Thanks Dave but I.. we.. after Maeve I just can't but" Spencer said nervously but with a genuine and huge smile he just couldn't suppress as his cheeks colored._

"_Spencer, I know when Maeve died you thought you had lost your only chance but don't rush into anything. The old saying about friends making the best lovers really is true. Give it some time. Get to know each other before you get too serious." Alex said gently in her most loving and motherly voice echoing what Spencer had been telling himself for months._

"_Thanks, Alex." Spencer replied sincerely at Alex's maternal advice while he managed not to smirk as he thought about how much time they had given their relationship to grow from their first meeting to becoming lovers._

"_Reid we won't push but know we are all here for you." Hotch said with his usual somber air. Reid nodded._

"_Oh he knows, don't you sweet pea." Penelope said seemingly concluding the discussion of Reid's date._

"_So Penelope, why don't you tell everyone about the new general manager?"_

_Penelope took a deep breath before giving her performance. "Thanks, Dave. Well you all know how hush hush everyone has been. It turns out she …she's a she…anyway it turns out that running our little playhouse where everyone gives 110% just so we get a crumb of recognition is not the main reason she came to Washington, DC._

"_Oh Penelope, that's terrible. Do you know what her agenda is?" Alex asked her face filled with concern which was mirrored by JJ._

"_6'3", curly brown hair, dimples, and 3 PhDs." Penelope said with a laugh._

_Derek put his arm around Spencer "My man." Spencer's coffee had finally begun have the desired effect. He blushed and smiled. _

_JJ, Alex, and Hotch all started talking at once "You had a date with the new general manager." "Who is she?" "Spence, What's going on?"_

_Reid made eye contact with JJ. He couldn't help but remember how JJ had questioned his perception of Maeve's sexual orientation. It had stung. Yes his relationship with Maeve was unconventional and since her death he had realized even if she lived she wouldn't have been the one. Like JJ, she wanted to protect him. He knew he was awkward and different but was it so wrong to want to be with a woman who saw him as capable of being an alpha, a woman who made loving her effortless. He knew JJ would always saw him as a little brother but she had to understand he thought that this, this was real so real and non-negotiable so with just the slightly touch of defiance in his voice he said. "It's Lila" He then made eye contact with Alex. His face and voice returning to normal, he explained "Lila Archer, the actress."_

"_Is she the adorable blonde on the show the Teen channel has about the volleyball team?" Reid nodded in affirmation. "James' niece Bekah….she's 16 now…she loves that show. I think it been on since she was 6 or 7. She says all the kids love it. She was so disappointed when she heard it's being cancelled at the end of this season. Every time I email her she tells me how many new episodes are left. I think it's down to 3 now. Why does that name seem so familiar?_

"_We had a case involving her about 8 years ago…" Hotch began._

"_8 years, 1 month, 3 days." _

"_She was being stalked." Rossi added._

"_My man took down an armed subject without firing a shot. He was her hero."_

"_So when she was hired for this job, she decided to contact you?" JJ asked nervously. Penelope, Derek, and Dave wondered what the answer to this question was too. They had tried to ask on Saturday evening but so many people kept interrupting them. By the time the crowd started to thin out it was late and Reid had demurred saying he would explain to the whole team together on Monday._

"_Um no. When Garcia said the job was available I called Lila."_

"_So you called her after 7 1/2 years out of the blue and she jumped on the next plane? I'm not buying it kid. I know you like your privacy but I'm begging you give us just a little bit more here."_

"_Ok a couple weeks after her case. She called me. She wanted my address. She said something about seeing a painting that reminded her of me and she wanted to buy it for me. Don't worry Hotch, I told her that was against regulations. She asked if she could write me occasionally. I said sure. I was certain over time her feelings of transference would diminish and the letters would stop. I thought she was just being kind and in my mind likened it to someone sending a Christmas card to a deployed serviceman."_

"_But they never stopped, did they Spencer?" Alex asked hoping to encourage him to continue the story when he paused and sighed._

"_No they didn't. There were a few times I thought they might. They was no schedule to the letters sometimes 4 to 5 months would pass between letters other times she'd write after 4 to 5 weeks. I always replied. After Maeve died…." _

"_You told her about Maeve?" JJ questioned her voice tinged with concern. JJ of all people knew how sensitive Spencer was and how hard it was for him to trust. He had come to her crying for weeks while Emily was in Paris. Of all the men she knew she never thought Spencer would be manipulated by a pretty girl._

"_I didn't tell her. Lila guessed. She thought my letters were different, happier. After Maeve died I told her I thought I had lost my only chance. And then our correspondence took a turn I never expected. After her show was cancelled, she talked about moving here just for me. She said she'd saved a lot of money. It was tempting so tempting. Even though I didn't want to lose another chance, it didn't seem quite right. I was scared. Then the job came. It took some of the pressure off me and took a lot of the fear away. If she got the job, a potential relationship with me wouldn't be the only reason she was moving to Washington. I called her. When I heard her voice on the phone, I knew it was the smartest thing I had ever done. It was like I was back in her pool and I didn't want to stop."_

And he hadn't Penelope thought. Having changed, taken off her make-up, and brushed her teeth, Penelope slid into the couple's bed with a smile on her face, turned out the light and quickly fell asleep.

**A/N When I originally wrote this, I planned to stop here. I've now written a 5****th**** chapter that I'm pleased with and will be posting in the next week or so. I'm bad at titles but the title for this came from a song "If Ever You're In My Arms Again." Thanks for reading and a special thanks to those who have taken the time to review.**


	5. Chapter 5

**A/N: Here is Chapter 5. I plan on writing at least one more chapter and may go beyond that. My vision is to show their life in the summer of 2023 but also fill in the years from 2014-2023 through flashbacks/daydreams. I'll try to put the flashbacks/daydreams in italics so you don't get too confused. Thanks again to all who are reading and especially those who are reviewing.**

Lila. His first thought as he began to regain conscious on Mother's Day morning was Lila, his Lila, his beautiful Lila. Even before he opened his eyes, he could tell she was still asleep. Her breathing was shallow and even, her head was on his shoulder and her arm was draped across his waist. There was a subtle smell of her perfume. They had fallen asleep in each other's arms spent after spending hours talking, kissing, caressing, petting and coming together as one.

Spencer wanted nothing more than to wake her and show her again just how very much he loved her. But as tempted as he was with her feminine body pressed against his he would let her sleep just a little while longer. With the children, sleeping in was rare. He would not deprive her of this pleasure. He smiled as he always did when he thought about how lucky he was to have Lila and their four wonderful children in his life. There had been a period of time, a long period of time when he didn't think he would have this kind of life.

_Maeve had been his first hope. But that had ended so horrifically. Lila had guessed there was someone special in Spencer's life. She had sent him a card and a letter at Halloween to which he replied. He always replied. He was happy then. He and Maeve were talking regularly. She had helped them solve a case just the previous week and Henry had dressed up as his "favorite profiler" for Halloween. That had touched Spencer so much. He had begun to think that maybe someday he might have his own little boy. He struggled sometimes to know just what to write in his letters to Lila. How much of himself to give away. He had previously mentioned his Godson to her and enthused about Henry in his reply. Lila had somehow guessed that the boy's devotion was not the only reason for Spencer's happiness._

_She next sent a Christmas card. She had guessed he was "seeing someone" and wished them "much happiness." Her Christmas card had been short and sweet, Lila was always so sweet, but somehow it sounded like good-bye. He replied telling her that Maeve was a geneticist, they loved discussing books, and to him she was the most beautiful girl in the world._

_After Maeve died he was certain he would never have a second chance. He was wrong, very wrong. It was just over ten years - ten years, one month, sixteen days – since his life had begun to change for the better. He was still slowly coming back from his lowest point that Good Friday when he had received an Easter card from Lila. _

_It was the first time she had contacted him since Maeve died. She would later confess that she hated the thought of him finding everlasting love with another woman. She had debated contacting him for weeks. But she had finally decided an Easter card would not be inappropriate. His reply she had decided would determine if she kept sending cards. As much as she hated the thought of totally dropping him from her life, she also didn't want to end up like the two characters in the play Love Letters who just never found their right time to be together. Lila always hoped that as long as Spencer was single they would find their way to each other but she wasn't a home wrecker and if he married Maeve she would accept his choice. Unbeknownst to Lila, Maeve had been dead for 2 months and 13 days. He still wasn't sleeping well and Lila's cheerful albeit short note did not help. _

_It brought all the guilt and sorrow he had felt since Maeve's death back to the surface. He wrote her a lengthy letter in reply, pouring out his heart to her like he had poured out his heart to JJ when he thought Emily was dead. He knew he was being very reckless sharing so much of himself but he didn't care. He'd thought about dilaudid just as he had when he thought Emily had died but knew that wasn't the answer. He couldn't bear to confide in any of his teammates. They already thought the relationship was weird. Only Spencer would fall in love with someone he had never met. Most of them barely acknowledged it as love. Hell JJ had wondered if Maeve was gay and Spencer had missed it. He knew they all wondered how it could be love when they met for the first time only minutes before she was killed. He was beginning to doubt it himself. Yes they had Thomas Merton but she also had a fiancé who she never mentioned. At least with Lila, unlike his teammates, he would not see the emotions whatever they might be – shock, pity, skepticism - play out on her face as she read the letter._

_It had taken her three weeks to reply. The letter was stilted. She clearly didn't know what to say. "Dear Spencer, My heart broke for you as I read your last letter. I am so sorry to hear of your loss. I'm sure Maeve was a wonderful person for you to have cared so deeply for each other. Please know I think of you often and fondly. If there is anything I can do." It had begun._

_He had written her back quickly. He always replied to correspondence quickly. It was one of the things his mother had taught him about being an honorable gentleman. He thanked her for being so gracious and understanding. He apologized for being so raw and needy in his last letter. The truth was he was still raw maybe not as raw as he had been but raw none the less. He still wasn't sleeping. But he was able to pull himself together enough to write a much calmer reply. He did allow himself one small slip. Lamenting that with Maeve's passing he believed that his chance of ever having a family had also passed away._

_This time she replied in just over a week. It was now 10 years and 8 days since he had received her shocking and fateful reply. The words had been so simple but the implication so profound. "Do you ever think about us?" Us. Mercifully after some fatherly words from Dave he had started to finally get some sleep. With much trepidation, he had allowed Maeve to come to him in his dreams. They had danced and held each other close before she became a ghost of a memory. A ghost of memory. He would never forget her and always regret that he couldn't save her. But perhaps she hadn't been the one but the one to give him the courage to pursue the girl who had been patiently waiting for so long. The quote which Maeve had written in his copy of "the Narrative of John Smith" suddenly took on a whole new meaning. "Love is our true destiny. We don't find the meaning of life by ourselves alone. We find it with another." Her last words to him had been Thomas Merton. Was she somehow giving him, them her permission, her blessing?_

_In his next letter, he wrote Lila about the conversation he had with Derek just days after he first met her. He had been only 24 years old. He was still finding his way in the Bureau. He wasn't ready for romance then. But she had certainly made an impression on him. He'd complemented her and flirted with her a little at least he thought what he'd written would qualify as flirting. She was "sweet, very beautiful, and unforgettable." He also admitted "yes I have sometimes wondered what would have happened if I had called. I fear it would have ended badly." He'd added hoping he didn't sound to forward "I'm surprised in all these years you haven't married. I'm sure there are many men in Hollywood who would be honored to be your special someone."_

_He had once again been shocked in the best way possible by her reply. "Spence, the men here in Hollywood aren't manly like you. You're a wonderful and unique combination of strength and bravery along with gentleness and compassion wrapped in brilliance. I've gone on dates and had a few brief relationships but since meeting you every guy I meet I compare to you and eventually they all well they all disappoint me."_

"_You're the first person who ever used the word strength to describe me. I was just doing my job and the FBI trains us all very thoroughly." He wrote in his reply._

"_No Spence I refuse to believe it was just your training. I mean the other agents were nice enough and competent but you really were both brave and compassionate. She was sick and it was as if you knew just what to say, just what to do. From what I saw, it felt like more than just training even really great training." Came her reply 10 days later._

_Spence again she had called him Spence. No one but JJ who had never seen him as more than a little brother had called him Spence. Ok maybe Maeve had once or twice but had that been intentional or just a slip of the tongue as they intensely discussed a book or journal article? He had always assumed the r had gotten caught and silenced in her throat. But this, this was written Spence. But the words she was using to describe him weren't words JJ ever used. Could this really be more, dare he hope, he would ask himself that question over and over again in late 2013 and early 2014. If there was any possibility he had to be truthful with her. _

_She had given him the perfect opportunity and as much as it terrified him he took it. He told her about his mother. It was a slightly abbreviated version. He didn't mention his father's abandonment or the Riley Jenkins case those topics would come later. He focused solely on his mother. Her brilliance, her illness, the sanitarium, his guilt, his daily letters, her devotion to her only child which would under the right conditions still shine through the fog. He was sobbing as he sealed the envelope much like he had sobbed when he wrote Lila about Maeve and terrified that this time he had given too much of the man he really was. She would see him differently now he feared. Broken, pathetic, damaged. There probably would not be a response._

_She replied quickly again with compassion and a flurry of questions including questions about his father. He answered all her questions and asked about her upbringing. She replied explaining that she was raising an only child in Texas. Her father was the pastor of a very conservative church. Her parents had wanted her to go to college in Texas, become a teacher maybe English they didn't really care and find a local boy to marry. They refused to embrace what they considered her shameful dreams and she left, went to Julliard without their permission or support. And then what perhaps shocked him the most of anything she would ever say to or write to him. "In your last letter, you shared your heartbreak at your father's abandonment. You mentioned that others including Elle and Gideon have left your life with little or no explanation and this is something that has affected you deeply. I hope, I pray that you don't think less of me because I abandoned my parents."_

"_No Lila, no. I understand how you might think that. But my mom and even my dad for what it is worth are proud of me. Although my mother has a fear of the government, doesn't like the idea of me working on things that are so sad and still calls me baby; she thinks I'm perfection. She and her doctors have actually helped me on a couple cases. I know she would help me more if she could. I feel her love every day. The situation with my dad is much more complicated. I've only seen him once since I was 10. He just couldn't cope. But I found out several years ago that he follows my career and has a whole file on his computer of newspaper articles about me and journal articles I've written. I can't imagine a parent blatantly stifling their child's dreams. If I am ever fortune enough to have children, I will do my best to support them and love them always."_

_In her reply she said that she dreamed of having four children._

Four children. He had somehow done it. He somehow found the courage to let his heart rule his head. And now here they were. He could smile now as he thought of what those two words meant, what he and Lila had experienced together to make those two words reality. He felt her weight shift and he opened his eyes again to see her looking at him with a broad smile on her face. "What were you thinking about, honey?" She asked caressing his chest.

"You" he said as he rolled her over onto her back causing her to giggle and then he stroked her face as he did in only their most intimate moments. In his eyes, she could see wonder, awe, and love. She smiled in understanding and consent. He gently lowered his lips to hers as they once again began their lovers' dance.


End file.
